What did you do to your deuce this week?

[Computerdoc08]

I picked up a second Deuce, a 1971 Kaiser M35A2 WO/W from a member on this site a few months ago and have been slowly making my way through it.

So far I have:
Replaced the air governor
Replaced almost all injection pump fuel lines (1 more to go)
Greased all points in the LO (with the exception of the trunnion which I will be doing this upcoming week)
Repaired drivers side mirror that was damaged during transport
Replaced the breather gasket
Replaced the oil pressure regulator and gasket
Replaced the radiator cap and topped off coolant
Replaced air filter
Replaced rubber connectors and clamps on u-pipe from air cleaner to turbo
Changed oil with Rotella 15w40 and OptiLube ZDDP
Changed primary fuel filter (secondaries will be replaced this upcoming week)
Added OptiLube XPD to fuel tank
Replaced gear oil in all 3 axles, transmission and transfer case
Replaced gear oil in steering gear box (this will get rebuilt in the future to eliminate the leak)
Replaced brake pedal return spring, clutch return spring and throttle spring
Adjusted throttle cable
Replaced Engine Stop cable
Replaced non-functioning in-tank fuel pump and replaced with a good take out
Removed batteries, charged and conditioned before re-installing
Replaced front shocks

Next Tasks:
Grease trunnion
Replace secondary fuel filters
Service front end - new boots/clamps, axle seals, brake cylinders, soft brake lines
Service 2nd and 3rd axle bearings, seals, soft brake lines and asses brake cylinders and rebuild if needed
Bleed brake system

 

[Valley Rock]

I FINALLY got a tow bar for the M50A2, picked it up at little military show yesterday right down the road from me, it was a great show lots of cool peeps and good food, so stoked to have found this .
Now just gotta figure out what position the cab levers need to be in, and I can tow this to fires with my 5 ton and leave it there till were done .

 

[Charlie175]

At our Town's annual Memorial Day event I had kids climbing all over the trucks. They had a lot of fun and I was glad I disconnected the batteries before hand!

 

[ToddJK]

At our Town's annual Memorial Day event I had kids climbing all over the trucks. They had a lot of fun and I was glad I disconnected the batteries before hand!

From a kids perspective, seeing the inside of the cab and the controls, sitting at the wheel of a military truck is the bee's knees!

 

[tguinn]

Made a holder for an AR, the military issue ones look like it would rub the stock too much. Tim

 

[rustystud]

Made a holder for an AR, the military issue ones look like it would rub the stock too much. TimView attachment 898530

Tim. You have the "cleanest" Deuce I've ever seen !!!
It's immaculate !
How many hours do you have in your Deuce ? Plus can you come over to my place and help me clean-up my Deuce !

 

[tguinn]

Thanks, I started shortly before the pandemic, stripped the cab down to repair rust painted and had done in about 9 months.

 

[rustystud]

You

Thanks, I started shortly before the pandemic, stripped the cab down to repair rust painted and had done in about 9 months.

You did a fantastic job !

 

[pitpawten]

Started back in on the Deuce today after *cough* 3 years sitting : (

Fried the old batteries due to a welded solenoid (more info) and haven't touched since.

Installed the Gear Reduction Starter today that I got from [B]74M35A2[/B] - MUCH lighter to install than the old one was to take off. Got some gasket material from the auto-parts place for both side of the spacer and some grade-8 nuts and split washers (couldn't find the originals).

I noticed the following today which has be hurting:

1. Both windshield frames severely rotted, fell apart as I tried to take them out. Have take-off spares but need to buy seal kits and glass.
2. Some kind of oil leak has the underside soaked.
3. Need 2x new batteries, thinking group 27 @ 810 CCA
4. Fuel has been sitting for 3 years, added a container of Diesel Kleen to the tank. Fortunately the tank is a swapped A3 aluminum one so no rust.
5. Soft-top is leaky everywhere, Deuce sits outside (no garage) so not sure how to keep it from continuing to leak. Hard-top kits are either non-existent or ~$2k
6. Cargo Cover is looking pretty worn, with light coming through in a number of places and some tears starting. Super-rope is all gone.

I got this thing cause I love wrenching and the kids love it, but thinking it may be beyond my capacity for time/$ : (

 

[Valley Rock]

@pitpawten
Get your batteries in and get it running, show the kids it still lives, they will refuel your enthusiasm, then just one thing at a time, easy peasy (as the kids say)

 

[cattlerepairman]

@pitpawten my thoughts are
- there are still auto glass places that actually cut laminated glass themselves. The Deuce windshields are flat and as easy to make as it gets. A place that cuts glass for construction equipment etc. would be best because they can hook you up with the rubber strips as well.

- if you are not hell bent on OEM parts, there are some really well made fiberglass hardtops available from the usual suspects; not affiliated but try C&C and Eastern Surplus for prices. Likely less than half of what you quoted.

 

[pitpawten]

@pitpawten
Get your batteries in and get it running, show the kids it still lives, they will refuel your enthusiasm, then just one thing at a time, easy peasy (as the kids say)

Good suggestion, baby-steps to the Deuce : )

Question: Any issue mixing old and new batteries? Got one nearly new Group 31 900 CCA battery, but thinking I want to switch to Group 27 with slightly lower CCA. Any problems mixing old/new, different CCA?

 

[pitpawten]

@pitpawten my thoughts are
- there are still auto glass places that actually cut laminated glass themselves

I found GoGlass in my town, gonna hit them up tomorrow, now to find the thread with the glass dimensions for the OEM frames....

there are some really well made fiberglass hardtops available

Fiberglass hard-top kit for sub $1K? My searching is bunk then, any help in a PM?

 

[Mullaney]

Good suggestion, baby-steps to the Deuce : )

Question: Any issue mixing old and new batteries? Got one nearly new Group 31 900 CCA battery, but thinking I want to switch to Group 27 with slightly lower CCA. Any problems mixing old/new, different CCA?

.
The recommendation is to always replace batteries in pairs.
Helps avoid overcharging a smaller battery and possibly "cooking" a generator or alternator.

 

[pitpawten]

.
The recommendation is to always replace batteries in pairs.

Yeah, I do know that's the rule, and not a bad one (new wine in old wineskins and all that.

But that's also putting a good ~$200 battery on the shelf as a "spare" that I wont use.

Is the issue that it could overly exert the new battery, and effectively bring it down to the old batteries "level"?

EDIT - Just saw your additional explanation above makes sense, anyone need a Group 31? ; )

 

[cattlerepairman]

Windshield Glass Dimensions:

Windshield dimensions??

does anyone know the exact dimensions of the driver windshield glass so i can have one cut?! thanks Kyle

www.steelsoldiers.com

Re fiberglass tops...you need to talk to the vendors and see what they are willing to do. I do not claim to be current on the latest pricing; they may have skyrocketed for some reason (supply chain, COVID, inflation....whatever the story is these days).

 

[pitpawten]

Windshield Glass Dimensions:

Windshield dimensions??

does anyone know the exact dimensions of the driver windshield glass so i can have one cut?! thanks Kyle

www.steelsoldiers.com

Re fiberglass tops...you need to talk to the vendors and see what they are willing to do. I do not claim to be current on the latest pricing; they may have skyrocketed for some reason (supply chain, COVID, inflation....whatever the story is these days).

Thank you for the windshield link I knew I remembered seeing that around and I'll do some checking on the top.

Appreciate all the replies this form and often the straight and particular usually does a good job of lifting me when I'm in the Deuce Blues : )

 

[pitpawten]

Ordered:

Oil cooler cover (old had holes)
Oil cooler gasket set
Headlight mounts (rubber jobbies)
Glass for windshield (at local GoGlass)
Windshield weather stripping
SuperRope (Grainger 5/8 EPDM @ ~1.15/ft)
Oil and Fuel filters (WIX @ Rock Auto)
Spindle Socket ($40 NAPA)


Delivered:

Boots (no zipper)
Clamps
Spindle washers (new with fresh tabs)
Full axle/hub seal kit
Wheel cylinder rebuild kits


Picked up:

2x Group 27 Marine "starting" batteries @ 800 CCA (same as Auto except for having both posts and terminals). Should fit in my plastic box.

 

[pitpawten]

A question (not directly asked before from what I can tell):

Is there any potential issue with pre-filling the fuel filters with ATF before my first start?

Thought is to let that cycle and hopefully clean things out a bit upon startup without diluting by dumping into fuel tank.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

A question (not directly asked before from what I can tell):

Is there any potential issue with pre-filling the fuel filters with ATF before my first start?

Thought is to let that cycle and hopefully clean things out a bit upon startup without diluting by dumping into fuel tank.

Personally, I'd use seafoam, 2 stroke oil, MMO, PowerService Diesel KLEEN and diesel...but that's just me... Keep in mind that any unused fuel just gets sent back to the tank.

If you really want to clean things out you can do a closed cycle purge, that I've posted about in other threads.

Start reading here and keep going.

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/m929-questions.214516/#post-2511392

Long/short is, disconnect fuel line and return line and put them in a clean bucket/container. Pour a cocktail of cleaners- Seafoam, MMO, TCW3 (2 stroke oil), ATF, into the bucket. Add an inline filter. Start the engine and let it run through the cleaners. You end up cleaning all the junk out of it. Results are in the link, from other vehicles (mostly Mercedes Benz diesels).

But, if you just want to fill your filter with seafoam or ATF, it will probably start a bit slow, but it'll run. I try to get whatever I'm putting in there to be the viscosity of diesel, with same or better lubricity.